Several weeks ago, our pastor referenced the life of Samson when he shared this message. Samson’s birth and mission was that of a Nazirite, dedicated to the divine work of beginning to rescue God’s people from the oppression of the Philistines (Judges 13:5). In his capacity as God’s holy servant, Samson was never to cut his hair or to drink wine. As he grew through early life into adulthood, God moved in his life, and Samson ultimately served as Israel’s judge for a period of twenty turbulent years.
Few individuals today are given such specific guidance as they seek to follow after Christ. The salvation covenant made possible by the death of Jesus is based solely on our faith in His sacrificial death for us, replacing the rules and regulations of Old Testament sacrifices. However, the lure of sin that often distracted Samson from his mission is just as powerful in our lives today, and its outcome can impact us forever.
First, sin will take you further than you want to go. Much like today’s society, life in Samson’s time was one in which “every man did what was right in their own eyes. (Judges 21:25)” Hundreds of years after the life of Samson, the apostle Paul said that even when he wanted to do right, his sinful nature led him far away (Romans 7:19). Disobedience to God’s guidance will always take us further from Him.
Secondly, sin will keep you longer than you want to stay. The definition of sin is “missing the mark,” and this means that our refusal to accept God’s rulership in our lives will darken our spiritual eyes, keeping us blindly groping for our version of the Truth – sometimes for a lifetime.
Finally, sin will cost you more than you are willing to pay. The excitement and pleasure of following our own path presents only the illusion of freedom, while we still remain in bondage to Satan’s domination. Eventually, the wages of sin takes our very soul, separating us from God forever (Romans 6:23).
Sin can and will never keep its promises. Instead, as in the life of Samson, it seeks to destroy and separate mankind from his Creator. Jesus has already paid the price for sin. Don’t let it charge you twice!
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